Sport - Athletics

Mayookha angling for Anju’s record

KOCHI: Mayookha Johny is thrilled with Anju George hinting that her career could stretch till the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The young Kerala jumper is sure Anju’s presence, and competing against the 2003 World championship medallist, would help her raise the bar frequently.

“I could learn a lot from Anju chechi (sister) too,” said the 20-year-old here on Saturday.

Mayookha is the brightest outcome of the ‘Anju effect’ in Indian athletics. Some three years ago, there was a group of young long jumpers, including M.A. Prajusha and Mayookha, who were struggling to cross six metres. But suddenly, in quick succession the six-metre barrier was overcome.

Now, Mayookha is thinking big and she is primed for it too. The 20-year-old, who is being trained by Jose Mathew at the SAI Centre in Thalassery, has set her sights on Anju George’s national triple jump record at the 48th National Open athletics championship which begins at the Maharaja’s Stadium here on Monday.

“I’m looking for something in the 13.50 to 13.70 range. I had gone past this during training here a couple of days ago,” said THE BBA student of Thalassery’s Brennen College. Anju’s national record, 13.67m, came in Hyderabad in 2002.

“She’s in fine form for the triple jump, she came close to 13.90m in practice here,” said her coach Jose. “Since there is no pressure here, I’ve told her to go all out.”

Mayookha’s personal best triple jump, 13.34m, came at the Bhopal Federation Cup where she won both the long and triple jump golds. Her best in the long jump, 6.35m, popped up during the National Jumps and Combined Events Championship in Bangalore recently. With her landing technique now a lot better, she hopes to do something close to 6.50m in the long jump in Kochi.

The Municipal Stadium in Thalassery where Mayookha trains with the other SAI athletes is often a crowded place. “Thalassery is big in cricket, so there is a lot of cricket activity going on at the stadium. We also have to compete for space with footballers and hockey players,” said her coach Jose.

So, Mayookha is keen to make the most of Kochi’s new synthetic track at the Open Nationals and during the National varsities championship in December. Her big goals are the 2010 Asian Games at Guangzhou in China, the New Delhhi Commonwealth Games that same year and the 2012 London Olympics.

“After 2010, we plan to concentrate on the long jump. We’re looking at 6.70 plus at the Commonwealth and around 6.90 as we go to London,” said Jose.

“I know, I can go seven metres by that time,” said Mayookha.

Clearly, Abhinav Bindra’s shooting gold in Beijing has given young Indians the freedom to think big.

And of course, there will be loads of lessons from Anju.

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